News from Olare Orok Conservancy where the grass mowing project is winning support from the neighbouring Maasai. As far as I am aware, nobody has done this before!

Jake

 

 

NEWS FROM PORINI LION CAMP AND THE OLARE OROK CONSERVANCY IN THE MARA ECOSYSTEM:

A NEW APPROACH TO CREATE SHORT GRASS PLAINS FAVOURED BY WILDLIFE WHILE

PRODUCING HAY TO BE USED BY THE MAASAI COMMUNITY IN THE NEXT DRY SEASON!

 

Porini Lion Camp closed in April for the rainy season and re-opens at the end of May.

At this time of year the plains are covered with long grass and many of the herbivores

scatter and move away from the open plains as they are under increased threat from

predators which are almost invisible and hidden in the grass.

 

The Conservancy Manager, Rob O’Meara, has sent us a couple of photos. featured below, which

show how lions can disappear when the grass is long!

 

Lions hidden in the long grass

 

Lions revealed!

 

To improve the grazing for the wild herbivores and to bring back all the plains animals such as zebra,buffalo, eland, topi, gazelles, wildebeest and other herbivores, the grass is now being mowed on the vastopen plains below our Porini Lion Camp. This will create an area of short grass where the herbivores feel safer and after a few showers of rain there will be good grazing for the wildlife. And the grass is being baled so that there will be hay for the Maasai pastoralists to give to their cattle in the next dry season.

This initiative is being organised and funded by the Olare Orok Conservancy Trust as one of their community projects.

 

 

 

Community members loading hay for the dry season cattle fodder program in the

Olare Orok Conservancy Hay making pilot project funded by Olare Orok Conservancy Trust.

Hay production in conjunction with rotational controlled grazing of livestock will

greatly improve the bio diversity of grazing in Olare Orok and Motoroki Conservancies.

The area being harvested is below the Porini Lion Camp, yielding approximately

35 bales per acre. These savannah plains will be fertilised by the wildebeest migration

in August/September

 

A win-win for both the wildlife and the community!

 

The grass is long enough to hide a tractor

 

 

Mowing

 

 

 

The White Storks are never slow to exploit an opportunity. Insects are exposed as the grass is cut.

 

Baling 

 

Stacking

 

Thatching the stacks for weather proofing and aesthetics. Members of our local community are shown how

to stack and thatch so that in future we do not have to rely on outside expertise

 

The Conservancy management report that the hay project has been a real attraction amongst the Maasai landowners

Who own the parcels of land which make up the conservancy and the subject of much enthusiasm in the surrounding

communities. Above  the Olare Orok Conservancy landowners committee is seen here discussing the merits of hay with

Conservancy Manager Rob O’Meara. A community group from Kajiado district came to visit the Olare Orok Conservancy 

and were shown around by the conservancy management. In addition there have been many unofficial visits from interested

members of the community!

 

Olare Orok Conservancy Chairman Kipeen ole Sayialel and Committee Member &

 Community Liaison Officer David Rakwa discussing the hay project.

 

 

 

Koiyaki Guiding School students visiting the project where they were given a talk by Rob O’Meara and James Kaigil on conservancy management.

 

Narasha and her cubs appreciating the new short grass already.

 

 

 

Plains game moving back onto the short grass area.